That's the theme of our next Supper Club, "trailer trash". My first reaction was, "COOL!" and my second was, "What in the heck IS trailer trash food?" I need to adhere to the concept while elevating the food at the same time--after all, it must be edible.

Any ideas?

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

As for spray can cheese, you're onto something: same idea, with no scary spray, is Cheez Wiz which I was convinced was the basis for a bright orange sauce that a very fine Italian restaurant used to serve with lobster agnolotti. And then there's Tater Tots. I am guessing that the basis of any good trailer trash food is processed/packaged ingredients, right?

I've been looking at pictures on the web. At least half of them feature hot dogs.

This is going to require even more cleverness than traditional high end cooking, I'm starting to realize.

*Though I loved her tamale pie made with canned tamales, I have to admit.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:That's the theme of our next Supper Club, "trailer trash". My first reaction was, "COOL!" and my second was, "What in the heck IS trailer trash food?" I need to adhere to the concept while elevating the food at the same time--after all, it must be edible.

I'm not really the most PC guy, but I find the idea of people certainly in the top 10 percentile (if not the "1%") making fun of people in the bottom 10 percentile of income rather "tasteless"=obviously others disagree.

Dale Williams wrote:I'm not really the most PC guy, but I find the idea of people certainly in the top 10 percentile (if not the "1%") making fun of people in the bottom 10 percentile of income rather "tasteless"=obviously others disagree.

I've gone back and forth on this myself, Dale. We've been involved in conversations regarding such meals in the past and there's an element of discomfort for me that comes from the idea that this is denigrating other people in our society. I think, though, that despite the "trailer trash" moniker, the idea is to be creative with a certain type of food rather than to make fun of those we might think are eating it. I don't think my approach to the meal would change if it were called a "junk food" dinner rather than a "trailer trash" dinner.

Dale Williams wrote:I'm not really the most PC guy, but I find the idea of people certainly in the top 10 percentile (if not the "1%") making fun of people in the bottom 10 percentile of income rather "tasteless"=obviously others disagree.

A couple things you should know before you judge. All the members of this Supper Club are politically liberal, caring people who go out of their way to help the less fortunate in our community. For instance Linda, a former nurse, works tirelessly to find benefits to help young, poor, knocked up girls bring healthy babies into this world. Me, I fund a scholarship for disadvantaged single mothers in the culinary arts program at our local tech school. And then there's Rich, the host who chose this theme: he grew up bona-fide trailer trash (his word!) in the midwest, and he's not a rich man now by any means. If anyone's making fun, it's Rich and he owns that right. And the rest of us, we're not sitting here with our pinkies in the air making fun of anyone, Dale. It's just food.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

I think I'd have to like Jello more than I do in order to give that "my all". I'm better off at the Tater Tot end of things. But hey, feast your eyes on this recipe: it was the hit dish of a luncheon I was invited to but couldn't attend a few weeks ago, and a clamor for the recipe caused it to land in my inbox. To someone with a white and creamy aversion like me, it doesn't get any scarier.

Hum...I never thought of it in reference to a class of people but rather, a type of food that is easily and quickly thrown together, from cans, boxes, inexpensive ingredients , that type of thing. In thinking about it, I've known folks who live in mobile homes in mobile home parks.The ones I have been to in Redding are lovely, well kept, beautiful landscaping and mostly retired folks. I know there is one that borders the Sacramento River that the City would like to get rid of, but I have never been there. I have seen trailer trash places in movies....guess I am rather sheltered.

I agree with Jenise, it is just food they are after, not poking fun at anyone.

Another thing, I do recall a mobile home park flooding a few years back. It seems a creek overflowed, plus it had something to do with an old, and broken sewer system in the park that the creep landlord would never address. Gene and I took some clothing, pet food, cat litter, and canned goods down to the office to help out the folks and I noticed it was really a dumpy place to live. However, I also saw a lot of disabled folks, very poor mothers with children that looked like they had not had a decent meal in a long time. I was horrified. Some of the citizens formed a group, and got the City fathers to go after the landlord and made him update the place for the health, safety and welfare of the residents. Last time we went to take a look, it had improved immensely.

I think I'd have to like Jello more than I do in order to give that "my all". I'm better off at the Tater Tot end of things. But hey, feast your eyes on this recipe: it was the hit dish of a luncheon I was invited to but couldn't attend a few weeks ago, and a clamor for the recipe caused it to land in my inbox. To someone with a white and creamy aversion like me, it doesn't get any scarier.

Karen/NoCA wrote:My guess is that this is really good and would go over at your party. Sounds yummy to me!

It must taste pretty good or all those women wouldn't have gone nuts over it. But I can't make something like that--whipped cream? Marshmallows? Pudding? I am phobic about cold/white/creamy food and pudding-ish textures. Can't make it, can't eat it.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Karen/NoCA wrote:Hum...I never thought of it in reference to a class of people but rather, a type of food that is easily and quickly thrown together, from cans, boxes, inexpensive ingredients , that type of thing.

Then why not say 'elevated junk food'. It seems to me that the word 'trailer trash' pretty unambiguously refers to a specific class of people.

That said, your idea for using a Spam container without the Spam and a Ritz box without the Ritz sounded pretty clever to me.

White Trash Cooking by Ernest Matthew Mickler, published by 10 Speed Press 1986 is the perfect reference cook book for this event. From Tutti's Fruited Porkettes to Big Reba's Ice Box Cake with a Cold Collard Sandwich on the side it is a genuine, funny cookbook without condescension. Barbara Kafka said: 'the food goes from awful with lots of 'oleo' to very good. the language is funny throughout"I have never cooked from the book but have enjoyed reading the recipes and accompanying stories.